Mower-knife grinder.



Patented May I, I900.

ALLEN. MOWER KNIFE GRINDER.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Inveritor.

Attorneys.

Nb. 648,648. Patented May I, 1900.

' H. ALLEN.

MOWER KNIFE GRINDER.

' (Application filed Aug. 15, 18981 (N 0 WI 0 d a l No. 648,648. Patehted May I, I900. H. ALLEN.

MOWER KNIFE GRINDER.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1898.) (No Model) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

- Inventor.

3/ W m w a Attorneys,

'No. 648,648. Patented May I, I900.

' H. ALLEN.

MOWER KNIFE GRINDER.

(Application filed Aug' 15, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

\zvitne sses. Inventor. w B EHiuMle/m.

I I t 1 I y I :f .l2. W

3 Attoreys UNITED STATES.

PATENT I HARDING ALLEN, OF BARRE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOWER-KNIFE GRINDER.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 648,648, dated May 1, 1900. 11535155 fil dllugust 15,1898. Serial'No. 688,568. (NomodeL) To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARDING ALLEN, a citi-.

, claimed in United States Letters Patent No.

W siredan glesflcprovide improveddri-ving een- 583,443, granted to me June 1, 1897.

The especial objects which 1 have had in View in designing a mower-knife grinder according to my present invention are to provide a simple and steady construction for setting and clamping the grinding-wheel at the de- In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, Figure l'is' a side view of a mower-knife grinder constructed according to my invention, the knife holder or frame being omitted. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of the knife holder or frame. Fig. 4 is an inverted rear view of thesame. Figs.

, 5 to 8, inclusive, are detail views of an adjustable bottom support adapted to cooperate with mower-knives having difierent widths of base-sections. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the angle-piece which carries the spindle or upright. Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of the base-piece of the machine. Fig. ll is a detail sectional view of the driving-sprocket, and Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable piece or bracket for supporting the driving connections. 1

A'mower-knife grinder constructed accord,

ing to my present invention preferably comprises a base piece or casting, a bracket hinged thereon for supporting the knife holder or frame, and an elbow-piece carrying the grinding-wheel and its driving connections,.w."ih elbow-piece can be turned and rigidly clail. \ed to set the grinding-wheel at the desired ax-gle with-respect to the knifeholder.

Referring to the drawings and in detail,'2 designates the base piece or casting, preferably having an elbow 23 cast integrally therewith for receiving a clamping-screw 24, by means of which the machine maybe secured upon any suitable support. As shown most clearly in Fig. 10, the base piece or casting 20 comprises integral rearwardly-extending arms and a curved front .part.

Secured in or formed integrally with the base-piece 20 is anupright or pin 21, which forms the piaot about which the grinding.

mechanism may be adjusted and clamped, as hereinafter described. A slot 22 is formed in the base-piece 20 about the pin or upright 21 to receive the clamping-screw for securing the grinding mechanism in place. 23 designatesshort curved slots, also having the pin 21 as a center, to receive adjustable stops for limiting the adjustmentot the grinding mechanism.

Pivotally mounted on the pin or stud 21 is an elbow-piece 25, which is illustrated most clearly in Fig. 9. The elbow-piece 25 may be turned on the pin 21 as a' center and may be secured in its adjusted position by means of a clamping-screw 26, which extends down through the slot 22 in the base-piece and has a wing-nut 27 threaded thereon. To form stops for limiting the adjustment of the elbow-picce 25-, I preferably provide small bolts 28, which extend down through the slots 23 in the base-piece 20 and may be secured in their adjusted position by'means of wing nutsthreaded thereon.

Secured in the elbow-piece 25 by means of a hooked bolt 29 is a spindle or pipe-section 30. .Fastened on. the upper end of the spindle or pipe-section 30is a yoke-piece 31.1,

J ourn'aled in the yoke-piece 31 is a grinding arbor orshaft 32, carrying the grinding-wheel 33 and drive Sprocket 34. Thedriving connections'for turning the drivensp'rocket- 34 to bevel-gear 3S meshes with a bevel-gear section, preferably formed integrally with the driving sprocket-wheel 39, as shown most clearly in Fig. 11. A driving-chain M is mounted on sprocket-wheels 34: and 39.

By loosening the clamping wing-nut 27' the elbow-piece 25 may be turned or adjusted to different relative angular positions on the base-piece and may be then rigidly clamped in place, and by securing the parts together 20 in this manner the driving-wheel and its connections may be rigidly supported in their adjusted positions, so that acomparativelyheavy pressure may be exerted upon the grinding-wheel by. theknife-sections which are being ground without causing the wheel it is also to be to chatter or run unevenly. noted that the grindingwheels when thus I rigidly supported are less likely to wear un evenly and have longer life than when jour- 3o naled in supports which permit them to speedily run out of true.

The driving connections, as above described, which I preferably employ for turning the grinding-wheel, are arranged to gear down, so that the grinding-wheel will be driven at comparatively-high speeds.

By adjusting the bracket or support 35 on the main spindle 30 the tension of the driving-ehain 41 may be readily adjusted, and in the construction illustrated it will be noted that the--be el-gears and greater part of the driving connections are located but a short distance up from the' base-plate of the machine, so that they will be firmly supported," 45 and the rotations of the operating handle or crank 37 will have comparativelylittle tendency to vibrate or shake the grinding-wheel,

so as to cause the same to chatter. I

My frame or holder for the mowing-machine 5o knives is adaptedto support a mower-knife so that the same can be pushed or slipped along to presentits successive sections to the grinding-wheel, and my knife holder or frame herein illustrated has been especially de- 5 5 signed to support mower-knives in which the teeth or sections are riveted upon back-pieces of difierent relative depth and thickness.

A shaft 42 is secured in lugs in the basepiece 20, and pivotally supported on the shaft 42 is a bracket 43, which is controlled or pressed forward by a double torsicnalspring 44. To limit the motion of the bracket 4,3,

one leg thereof may be provided with ast-opsection 45, as shown most clearly in Fig.4 2.

As shown, the knife-holder comprises a substantially-rectangular frame, whichlis pivotallysupported in the bracket 4 3 by means of integral lugs or pintles 57, as shown most clearly in Fig. o. l t

:l i The holder or frame 4b is provided with a ledge 47, and the holder is designed so that the back section of the mowenknife being operated upon will be held up in dlintact with and guided by the overhanging ledge 47.

To support the mower-knife, I preferably employ at one end of the frame 46 alever 48, journaled on a stud extending from the rear of the frame 46. The lever 48 is provided with a foot-piece G0, and the level-4S may be turned and clamped in its adjusted position by means of a wing-nut threaded on to a clamp ing-screw 49. Journaled on a stud extending from near the opposite end of the frame or holder 46is a similar lever 50, which may be clamped in its adjusted position by means 35 of a wing nut threaded onto a clam ping- Screw 51. The lever50 is preferably provided with an adjustable supporting-piece 52, which may be turned to cooperate with mower-km ves having back-sections of different thicknesses.

As illustrated most clearly in Figs. 5 to 8, the supporting-piece 52 has retaining projections or guides for holding the mower-knives lnf'ck in place under th'clcdge -17 of the knife holder or frame 46. the supportingpiece 52 has three such retaining projections.

The inner face of the supporting-piece 52 .is preferably corrugated, and the lever 50 has acorrespondin g corrugated face, so that when 1 co the adjustable supporting-piece 52l1as been turned to presentthe desired retaining projection in position to cooperate with the mowerknifc it can be rigidly clamped in place by In the construction illustrated means of a wing-nut threaded onto a clamp 1'05 ing-serew 54.- I

In addition to the supports carried by the adjustable levers 48 and. 30 at the opposite ends of the knife holder or frame 401 contemplate employing a supplemental support for 1 10 holding the end of a mower-machine knife up to the grinding-wheel when the end sections thereof are being sharpened. then the cen-' tral sections or sections in an intermediate part of the knife are'being sharpened, the sup- 1 15 ports at the end of the knife holder or frame 4 6 are sufficient to-support the mower-knife; but when the extreme end sections are being sharpened but one of the supports at the end of the frame'could be used, and it is necessary I 20 to provide some form of intermediate support. To accomplish this purpose, I preferably pro; Vide a vertically-adjnstahle supporting-piece 55,"which is slotted, so that itcan be moyed up and down and secured in the dcsircttadr2 justedpos ition by m cans of a wing-n ntthreaded onto the clamping-screw 5i 4 The mower-knife while being ground is held back in place on the frame 46 by means of a spring-guide 58, substantially as described-in 1 30 my prior patent before referred to.

1 ,In using amower-knife grinder constructed according to my invention the grinding-wheel is turned to one side and clam peil at the tie-- sired angle. A mower-knife is then adjusted in its holder or frame, when the operatinghandle may be turned by one hand and the holder with the pivoted bracket 423 permits the holder to be rocked, so that one side of a tooth or section of the mower-knife will be ground-oroperated'npon from its point to the base. The mower-knife may then be pushed along to present one edge of successive teeth to the grinding-wheel, and after one side of all the teeth has been sharpened the grinding-wheel can be turned to a relatively-opposite angular position, so as to sharpen or grind the opposite sides of the teeth.

I am aware that changes may be made in the construction of my mower-knife grinder by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. Ido not wish, therefore, tobe limited to the form whichI have shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a machine of the class described, the

' combination of an upright spindle, a grinding-wheel journaled in the upper end thereof, and means for driving the grinding-Wheel comprising a crank-actuated driving-shaft, a

driving sprocket-wheel, and a bevel-gear con-- nection between the driving-shaft and driving sprocket-Wheel, said parts being supported part way down on the spindle, a driving-chain, and a driven sprocket-Wheel connected to the grinding-wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a spindle or support, a wheelfork upon the upper end thereof, an adj ust-able piece or bracket seou red on the body portion of the support, and means for driving the grinding-wheel, comprising an operating crank or handle, a driving-sprocket, bevelgears connecting the operating-handle and driving-sprocket, said parts being journaled in the adjustable piece, a driving-chain, and a'driven sprocket connected to the grindingwheel, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base plate or casting, an .e lbow-piece plvotally'mounted on the baseplate, stops for limiting the motion of the elbow-piece, means for clamping the elbowpiece in its adjusted position, a spindle or support carried by the elbow-piece, a grinding wheel, and driving connections carried on said. spindle, substantially as described.

e. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base piece or casting'20, an elbow-piece pivotally mounted on the base piece or casting, stops cooperating with said elbow-piece, means for clamping the elbowpiece in its adjusted position,-a-pipe secured in said elbow piece, a yoke 31 upon the upper end of the pipe 30, a grinding-wheel 33 and driving sprocket-wheel journaled in said yoke, a piece 35 adjustably secured on the body of the pipe, and driving connections comprising an operating handle or crank 37, a driving-sprocket 39,. a driving-chain 41 connectin g the sprocket-wheels, and a bevel-gear connection between the operating handle or crank and the d riving-sprocket, substantially as described.

5. In a-machiue oftbe class described, the combination of a base-piece, a brackethinged thereon, and a knife holder or frame having pintles or projections for engaging eyes in the upper end ofthe bracket to form ahinged connection between the bracket and knife-holder, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife holder or frame, a support therefor and an adjustable piece 52 for. a mower-knife having retaining projections for cooperating with mower-knives of different thicknesses, substantially as described. 7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife holder or frame, a supporting-piece 52 having retaining projections for cooperating with mower-knives of-different thicknesses, and means for clamping the support 52 in its adjusted position, whereby the support 52 can be turned and clamped in place to adapt the holder to receive different f rms of mower-knives. substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife holder or frame, supports for normally holding a mower-knife therein, and an adjustable supplemental support normally out "ofengagement with the mower-knife, and arranged to be moved into position to support the same when sections or teeth near the end of the mower-knife are being sharpened, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife holder or frame, and an adjustable end support comprising a supporting-piece 50 having retaining projections for cooperating with mower-knives of difierent thicknesses, and means for clamping the supporting-piece 52 in adjusted positions to cooperate with different forms of mowerknives, said supporting-piece 52 having a corrugated clamping-face to prevent the same frogn turning, substantially as described.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a knife holder or frame, an end lever 50 adjustably pivoted thereon, and a supporting-piece 52 having retaining pro- ICC jections for cooperating with mower-knives. of diiferent thicknesses adj ustably mounted on the lever 50, substantially as de oribed.

' 11. In a machine of the class desclibed, the

combination of a knife holder or frame -16, 1evers 48 and 50 pivotally mounted near opposite ends of said frame, lamping-bolts and wing-nuts for securing the respective levers in their adjusted position, a supporting-piece 52 having retaining projections for codperating with mower-knives of different thicknesses, and means for clamping the supporting-piece 52 in its adjusted position on the leelbow-piece 25'pivotally mounted on thehbase piece, a support or spindle extending np-from the elbow piece and carrying a grinding- Wheel and driving connections, a" single clamping-screw 26 extending from the elbowpiece 25 through a curved slot in the-basepiece 20, and a wing-nut 27 threaded onto the clamping-screw 26 for securing the grindingwheel at difierent relative angular positions, substantially as described.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination-of a base piece or casting 2O having an upwardly-extending pin 21, an elbowpiece,25 pivotallymounted on the pin 21, a spindle or pipe carrying a grinding-wheel and grinding connections, a hooked bolt 29 for fastening the spindle inthe elbow-piece,a clamping-nut 26 extending from the elbowpiece 25 down through a curved slot 22 in the base-piece, and a clamping wing nut 27 threaded onto the screw 26, substantially'as described. i

., l4..v.lnamachineofltheclassdescribed the combination of a base piece or casting, an

witnesses. V

elbowpiece pivotally mounted; thereon, a spindle or support extending up from the base-piece and carrying a grinding'wheel and driving connections, means for clamping the elbow-piece in its adjusted position, and stopbolts for limiting the movement of the elbow- -piece extendingdown through slots in the base-piece, and having wing-nuts threaded thereon, substantia1ly as described.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base piece or casting, an elbow-piece pivotally mounted thereon, means for clamping the elbow-piece in its adjusted positioma spindle or support extending up from the elbow-piece, a grinding-wheel journaled in a fork at the upper end of said support, and an adjustable piece 35 secured on the body-of the upright or support, a drivingshaft journaledin a socket in the adjustable piece, an operating-crank and bevel-pinion secured on relatively-opposite ends of the driving-shaft, a. driving-sprocket secured on a stud extending at right angles to the driving-shaft, said driving-sprocket having an in-- tegral bevel-gear section meshing With the i bevel gear on the driving-shaft, a driven sprocket connected 'to the grinding-wheel,

wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony'whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presenceoi two subscribing H R IN AL EnffY and a driving-chain mounted on the sprocket 

